Ethan's breath came in short, uneven bursts.
The café noise faded around him.
Voices became distant.
Blurry.
Like the world had moved underwater.
But the memories were sharp.
Too sharp.
Rain on the pavement.
The tower collapsing.
The sound of Liya screaming his name.
Six hundred lives crashing through his mind at once.
He grabbed the edge of the table to steady himself.
"…It's all back."
Liya held his shoulders.
"Ethan look at me."
He did.
But his eyes looked completely different now.
Older.
Heavier.
Like someone who had lived far more than a single life.
"…Liya."
Her chest tightened.
"You remember something?"
He swallowed.
"…Everything."
Silence.
The word felt too big for the moment.
The waitress nearby froze.
Other customers stared nervously.
But Ethan only saw one person.
Her.
The girl he had watched die hundreds of times.
"…You were under the tower," he whispered.
Liya blinked.
"What?"
"The collapse."
"You died."
Her heart skipped.
"Ethan—"
"You smiled before it happened."
Her breath caught.
"How would you—"
He suddenly pulled her into a tight hug.
So sudden it shocked her.
"…You're alive."
His voice cracked.
"You're really alive."
She slowly hugged him back.
"Ethan…"
Across the street—
The chronal officer rushed toward the café door.
Her device continued screaming.
TEMPORAL ENERGY SPIKE
LOOP REFORMATION PROBABILITY: 24%
She muttered under her breath.
"This shouldn't be possible."
The loop had been erased.
Time had corrected itself.
So why were the memories returning?
Inside the café—
Ethan finally pulled back.
He looked at Liya carefully.
"…You don't remember any of it, do you?"
She shook her head slowly.
"…Just dreams."
"Dreams?"
"About you dying."
He let out a weak laugh.
"Yeah."
"That happened a lot."
Her stomach tightened.
"…How many times?"
He hesitated.
Then answered honestly.
"Six hundred and three."
She sat down slowly.
"…That's insane."
"Tell me about it."
The café door suddenly opened.
The chronal officer walked in quickly.
Her sharp eyes locked onto Ethan immediately.
"…I knew it."
Ethan looked up.
Recognition flashed across his face.
"…You."
Liya blinked.
"You two know each other?"
The officer crossed her arms.
"Oh we've met."
Ethan sighed.
"Chronal Division."
Her eyebrow lifted.
"So you remember me too."
"I remember everyone."
She placed her device on the table.
The screen glowed red.
Liya leaned closer.
"What is that?"
"Bad news."
The officer tapped the screen.
A graph appeared.
Spiking upward.
TEMPORAL LOOP PROBABILITY: 31%
Liya frowned.
"…Loop?"
Ethan's expression darkened.
"…It's happening again."
She looked at him.
"What's happening again?"
He rubbed his temples.
"The universe remembers the loop."
The officer nodded.
"Exactly."
"But that shouldn't be possible."
"The paradox should have erased all temporal residue."
Liya felt lost.
"Can someone explain in normal language?"
The officer sighed.
"Fine."
She pointed at Ethan.
"His brain is acting like a backup drive."
"…Backup?"
"He remembers six hundred timelines."
"And that memory still contains temporal energy."
Ethan leaned back slowly.
"…So I'm basically a time bomb."
"Correct."
Liya's heart raced.
"What happens if the energy builds up?"
The officer didn't hesitate.
"The loop restarts."
Silence.
Ethan looked down at his shaking hands.
"…I didn't mean for this to happen."
The officer studied him.
"You didn't."
"But you also didn't erase everything."
Liya looked between them.
"So what do we do?"
The officer's voice turned serious.
"We stop the loop before it begins."
Ethan nodded slowly.
"…How?"
The officer tapped her device again.
A familiar name appeared on the screen.
RIVERSIDE TOWER
Ethan's stomach dropped.
"…Of course."
Liya whispered.
"That place again?"
The officer looked at both of them.
"The tower was the origin of the first loop."
"And now it's the origin of the second."
Ethan stood up.
His eyes steady now.
"…Then we go there."
Liya grabbed his arm.
"You just got your memories back."
"And?"
"And you're already running toward the disaster?"
He looked at her gently.
"I've seen what happens if we don't."
Outside—
The officer's device beeped again.
The number climbed higher.
TEMPORAL LOOP PROBABILITY: 39%
And rising. ⏳